Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “industrious” come from?

Industrious comes from Middle French industrieux, from Latin industriosus, derived from Latin industria meaning diligence or effort, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European en.

industrious (English): Hard-working and persistent

Definitions

  1. Hard-working and persistent

Ancestry of “industrious”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchindustrieux—
2Latinindustriosusdiligent, active, industrious
3Latinindustriadiligence, assiduousness; industry, activity;...
4Latinindustriusactive, industrious, assiduous, diligent
5Latinstruō—
6Proto-Italicstrowōpile up; construct, build
7Proto-Indo-Europeanstrew-to spread, to strew
8Proto-Indo-Europeansterh₃-to spread, extend, stretch out
9Proto-Indo-Europeanster-sterile, infertile

Words derived from “industrious”

  • industriously
  • industriousness
  • unindustrious
  • over-industrious
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ster- →